I usually take good care of my books, but I have been known to drop them in the bathtub accidentally-and I have to pay for them as does every other person who destroys a library book. I warn kids about this as a person who understands the problem, not as a threatening librarian; in fact, I deemphasize taking good care of books. I do warn them about taking good care of their library cards—not letting their mom wash it or their dog eat it. This usually gets a laugh, and I love getting a laugh. I believe that people who are laughing are listening.

When I do a booktalk, I seldom limit it to a single theme. I like to mix and match a hodgepodge of materials. It is very important to stay in touch with your audience. Kids today are raised on MTV and Sesame Street, and long attention spans are not part of their makeup. If they do not like the book I am talking about at a given moment, they won't have to wait long for a change; I will soon be talking about another. Also, if the book I am discussing does not seem to grab the audience, I will move on even more quickly, go home and reassess what I could say about the book that might be more interesting, or abandon it altogether.